Rizzu Rai, News Staff
Two of the most popular bat-and-ball sports, baseball and softball, have millions of fans around the world. Although popular, they are often confused for one another. This is because of the many highlighted similarities between them, but not many know about their diverse differences.
Differences
Not many know about the origins of baseball and softball, but they are the reason for many of their differences. Baseball is an evolution of previous bat-and-ball games that were played in the mid-18th century England. Contrastively, softball was started spontaneously in Farragut Boat Club in 1887. In the club, a Yale versus Harvard football game happened and Yale was victorious. To celebrate the victory, a Yale fan and Harvard fan engaged in what a reporter called “indoor baseball”. This engagement later evolved into the modern sport of softball. These origins lead to various other differences in the two sports which help people tell them apart,
#1 Gameplay: Standard softball games have seven innings while standard baseball games have nine. Both games begin with a pitch. Although they start off similarly, softball players throw underhand while baseball players throw overhand. From then on, a softball game has quicker tempo than a baseball game because of the smaller field.
#2 Differences in field & equipment: Baseball and softball use almost identical equipment, but they have their differences. One of the differences can be seen in the ball. A softball, measuring at around 12 inches in circumference, is bigger than a baseball, measuring at around 9 inches. Another difference is in the bats. A softball bat is 1 inch bigger than a baseball bat but the diameter of a baseball bat is bigger. These miniscule equipment differences are the result of the size of the fields. Since a softball field is smaller, a bigger ball and bat allow for smoother gameplay over smaller distances. A baseball field is bigger and a smaller ball and bigger diameter of a bat allow better pitches to happen in a bigger field.
Experiences:
To really understand softball and baseball, you need to know actual player’s experiences. Two freshmen, Timothy Richardson and Mya Cleckner play baseball and softball. Timothy recently started his journey with baseball while Mya is an experienced player. Seeing two sides on the bat-and-ball sports provides new prespectives to a person who is unfamiliar with the sports.
Question 1: “What is the environment like in your teams?”
Mya described the environment of a softball team as comfortable and collaborative. She says that it is a unique environment because everyone has to work as one to succeed. The result of this positivity made her more social and feel that she belonged on the team. Timothy describes the environment of a baseball team as welcoming and friendly. Everyone welcomed him when he first joined. This positive environment allows his team to strategize and work together efficiently.
Question 2: “What was the most challenging thing you’ve experienced in your sport journey?”
The most challenging thing Mya has experienced on her softball journey was learning control since she is a pitcher. It is used in almost all parts of the sport and demands players to control how far to throw a ball and how far to run. To overcome this, she shares the crucial tip of not being afraid of the ball. She says it might scare new players but you can overcome it with courage and hard work.
Being a new player, the main challenge Timothy experienced was the constant thought that he wouldn’t be able to play or get kicked out from the team. To overcome these fears, he recommends doing research on baseball to grow as a player and person.
Regardless of their differences, both baseball and softball are enjoyable sports for both players and viewers.
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